Cape Rock Thrush

Robberg Peninsula, Western Cape, South Africa

The cape rock thrush is endemic (restricted) to South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. It favours cliffs, boulder strewn, rocky valleys and hillsides and scree slopes, preferably with some trees, bushes and succulents such as aloe. It also inhabits towns and villages close to these habitats.

Food

The cape rock thrush is a terrestrial species and forages mainly on the ground amongst rocks and vegetation for arthropods, insects, fruit, seeds and nectar, It will also eat frogs, small lizards and molluscs.

Breeding

Cape rock thrushes are monogamous and solitary nesters. The male protects its territory aggressively against intruders. The nest is an untidy platform of twigs, roots, grass and soil with a cup-shaped hollow in the middle and usually built by the female in a rock crevice or on a cliff ledge.  The same nest will be used over several seasons. Two to four eggs are incubated by the female. The chicks are fed on a diet mainly of arthropods by both parents